Holidays Bibliography

To go directly to a specific category, click below:

General Books about Jewish Holidays
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah
Hanukkah
Tu Bishvat
Purim
Passover
Shavuot
Tisha B’Av
Rosh Chodesh

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• General

• The Biblical and Historical Background of the Jewish Holy Days, by Abraham P. Bloch (Ktav, 1978).
  Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook, by Lesli Koppelman Ross (Jason Aronson, 1994).
  The Festival Days: A History of Jewish Celebration, by Chaim Raphael (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1990).
  The Festivals in Halachah: An Analysis of the Development of the Festival Laws, by Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin (Two volumes; Mesorah Publications, 1999).
  Gates of the Seasons: A Guide to the Jewish Year, edited by Peter S. Knobel (Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1983).
  Jewish Days: A Book of Jewish Life and Culture Around the Year, by Francine Klagsbrun (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996).
  Jewish Family and Life: Traditions, Holidays, and Values for Today’s Parents and Children, by Yosef I. Abramowitz and Rabbi Susan Silverman (Golden Books, 1997).
  The Jewish Festivals: History and Observance, by Hayyim Schauss (Schocken Books, 1962).
  The Jewish Holiday Baker, by Joan Nathan (Schocken Books, 1997).
  The Jewish Holiday Home Companion: A Parent’s Guide to Family Celebration, by Nicolas D. Mandelkern and Vicki L. Weber (Behrman House, 1994).
  Jewish Holiday Traditions: Joyful Celebrations From Rosh Hashanah to Shavuot, by Linda Burghardt (Citadel Press, 2001).
  The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary, by Michael Strassfeld (HarperCollins, 1985).
  The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays, by Rabbi Irving Greenberg (Simon & Schuster, 1988).
  Jewish Year: Celebrating the Holidays, by Barbara Rush (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2001).
  Moonbeams: A Hadassah Rosh Hodesh Guide, by Leora Tanenbaum, Claudia R. Chernov, and Hadassah Tropper, edited by Carol Diament (Jewish Lights, 2000).
  Seasons of Our Joy: A Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays, by Arthur I. Waskow (Beacon Press, 1982).
  The Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Life-Cycle Events, by Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin (Behrman House, 2000).

Rosh Hashanah

• Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy Days, by  S.Y.Agnon (Schocken Books, 1948, 1975).
  Entering the High Holy Days: Origins, Themes and Prayers, by Reuven Hammer (Jewish Publication Society, 1998).
  Moments of Transcendence: Inspirational Readings for Rosh Hashanah, edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins (Jason Aronson, 1992).
  Preparing Your Heart for the High Holy Days, by Kerry M. Olitzky and Rachel T. Sabath (Jewish Publication Society, 1996).
  The Rosh Hashanah Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1970, 1992).

• Yom Kippur

• Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy Days, by  S.Y.Agnon (Schocken Books, 1948, 1975).
  Entering the High Holy Days: Origins, Themes and Prayers, by Reuven Hammer (Jewish Publication Society, 1998).
  Moments of Transcendence: Inspirational Readings for Yom Kippur, edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins (Jason Aronson, 1992).
  The Yom Kippur Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1971, 1992).

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• Sukkot

• The Three Festivals: Ideas and Insights of the Sfas Emes on Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, by Rabbi Yosef Stern (Mesorah Publications, 1995).
  The Sukkot/Simhat Torah Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1973, 1988).

• Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah

• The Sukkot/Simhat Torah Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1973, 1988).

• Hanukkah

• A Different Light: The Hanukkah Book of Celebration, by Noam Zion (Shalom Hartman Institute, 2000).
  Chanukah: Its History, Observances, and Significance, by Hersh Goldwurm, Meir Zlotowitz (Mesorah Publications, 1981).
  The Hanukkah Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1992).

• Tu Bishvat

• Seder Tu BiSHevat: The Festival of Trees, by Adam Fisher (Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1989).
  Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology, edited by Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman and Arthur Waskow (Jewish Publication Society, 1999).

• Purim

• The Purim Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1949, 1988).

• Passover

• A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah, by Noam Zion and David Dishon (Shalom Hartman Institute, 1997).
  The Passover Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1987).
  Pesach: Passover – Its Observance, Laws and Significance/A Presentation Based on Talmudic and Traditional Sources, by Rabbis Shimon Finkelman, Moshe Dov Stein, Moshe Lieber, and Nosson Scherman (Mesorah Publications, 1995).
  The Three Festivals: Ideas and Insights of the Sfas Emes on Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, by Rabbi Yosef Stern (Mesorah Publications, 1995).

• Shavuot

• Every Person’s Guide to Shavuot, by Ronald H. Isaacs (Jason Aronson, 1998).
  The Shavuot Anthology, by Philip Goodman (Jewish Publication Society, 1974, 1992).
  The Three Festivals: Ideas and Insights of the Sfas Emes on Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, by Rabbi Yosef Stern (Mesorah Publications, 1995).

• Tisha B’Av

• Tishah B’av: Texts, Readings, And Insights, by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer and Rabbi Shimon Finkelman (Mesorah Publications 1992).

• Rosh Chodesh

• Miriam’s Well: Rituals for Jewish Women Around the Year, by Penina Adelman (Biblio Press, 1996).
  Celebrating the New Moon: A Rosh Hodesh Anthology, edited by Susan Berrin (Jason Aronson, 1996).
  Rosh Chodesh Guide: Resources for Sisterhood Study and Celebration, by Lenore Bohm (Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, 1997).
  Moonbeams: A Hadassah Rosh Hodesh Guide, edited by Carol Diament (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000).
  A Spiritual Life: Exploring the Heart and Jewish Tradition, by Merle Feld (SUNY Press, 2007).
  The Rosh Hodesh Table: Foods at the New Moon–Jewish Women’s Monthly Festivals, by Judith Y. Solomon, (Biblio Press, 1995).

 

Hanukkah

Pronounced: KHAH-nuh-kah, also ha-new-KAH, an eight-day festival commemorating the Maccabees' victory over the Greeks and subsequent rededication of the temple. Falls in the Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually corresponds with December.

Moshe

Pronounced: moe-SHEH, Origin: Hebrew, Moses, whom God chooses to lead the Jews out of Egypt.

Purim

Pronounced: PUR-im, the Feast of Lots, Origin: Hebrew, a joyous holiday that recounts the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre during the Persian period.

Rosh Hashanah

Pronounced: roshe hah-SHAH-nah, also roshe ha-shah-NAH, Origin: Hebrew, the Jewish new year.

Shavuot

Pronounced: shah-voo-OTE (oo as in boot), also shah-VOO-us, Origin: Hebrew, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, falls in the Hebrew month Sivan, which usually coincides with May or June.

Torah

Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.

Yom Kippur

Pronounced: yohm KIPP-er, also yohm kee-PORE, Origin: Hebrew, The Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and, with Rosh Hashanah, one of the High Holidays.